Although the Paul & Joe collection made for Target (a part of the successful Go International Collection launched by the corporation) was slated to hit stores on the August 1, we did some snooping at our local Tar-zhay a few days before that and found the first few items from the line already on the floor. While designer Tara Jarmon and Luella had some good ideas when they showcased their goods in Target stores, Paul & Joe is by far a much better collection of pieces in theory. The Paul & Joe designs are a lot more mature than Luella's giant apple prints (which can be attractive in small doses), and roomier than Tara Jarmon's mini-me sized blouses and skirts, but the Go International lines lack the quality of similarly priced Target lines.

While Tara Jarmon and Luella's items were on the tiny side, Paul & Joe's, designed by the label's Sophie Albou, is sized more appropriately (less junior sizing, which is a nice change). We scored a lovely creme and black blouse (pictured at right), and debated about purchasing the black cotton twist front dress they had for sale. A return trip a few days later proved to be more fruitful in checking out pieces, since the August 1st debut had already occurred. What stood out? Adorable thermal t-shirts with flutter sleeves (pictured below), available in a muted pink with a black ballerina graphic, and also a grey color with an owl in the center. Sounds odd, but very cute. The thermal tees were definitely cut smaller, so if you're interested, buy one size up. In addition, there were a number of accessories (pins, necklaces) added to the collection, but they were on the juvenile side, and several silk tops (floral).

Some of the items were very wearable in the collection, such as the cotton collared shirts with puffed short sleeves in black or creme, but overall, what was severely lacking in the collection was decent quality. Yes, we know, it's Target, but compared to the store's other brands in the same price range (Isaac Mizrahi and Mossimo), the Go International Collections at Target sacrifice quality. No surprise there, but the Go International line is priced higher than Target's in-house brands Mossimo and Isaac Mizrahi, but with those lines shoppers are getting more substantial pieces in the same price range as Go International. The bottom line is that since the shoppers that buy Mossimo are the same demographic buying pieces from Paul & Joe or Luella, they ought to be of comparable quality, or shoppers will quickly lose interest... Even if it is a limited edition collection.

So the standouts remain the shirt pictured above, and a few scattered items here and there (. Also, it is worth noting not all stores receive the same merchandise. Generally the Go International Collection has created an enormous amount of buzz about Target, but the customers the company loves, who will buy items from th Go International Collection, are those that don't want something to fall apart in a couple of washes. We know it's not couture, but in a market saturated with low-priced alternatives for women's clothing (think H&M, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, and so forth), it is incumbent upon retailers to not only make clothing that is limited edition (like all pieces in Go International), but also non-disposable.

The Target Go International Collection has featured Luella Bartley, Tara Jarmon, and now, Paul & Joe designer Sophie Albou's work. The Paul & Joe collection can be found in stores and online at Target.com. Second photograph courtesy of Target.com.